On Sunday, the New York Times reported that the Trump Administration is considering "narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth” in an effort to undermine federal civil rights protection for transgender people.

Our Unitarian Universalist faith affirms that no person’s identity is dictated by laws and legislation. In accordance with our First Principle, transgender, genderqueer, non-binary, and ALL persons possess inherent worth and dignity, which includes the right to define who we are. The Trump Administration’s attempt to erase trans identity is an attack on our Beloved Community as a whole and is the latest in a series of human rights violations that feed cruelty and threaten the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We unapologetically reject any effort to erase transgender people and their identity and demand that President Trump put an end to any and all policies that bring further harm to marginalized communities already at risk.

As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity, the full humanity and beauty of our trans siblings. Beloveds, we see you. We will follow your lead.

My fellow UU’s, we’ve also got work to do to be communities of inclusion and solidarity, protecting and advocating with the transgender, genderqueer and non-binary community.

About the Author

The Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray is the ninth president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). She was elected in June 2017 to a six-year term. She has served as lead minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix since 2008. She previously served as...